Gwyneth Paltrow: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Tracy Mills - Se7en

You're meant to care for Tracy Mills. Whether you're meant to lust for her depends on just how sick you think Seven is trying to be, but at the very least she's got to be a likeable character - the whole film hinges on her death being something that actually shakes the audience. A pretty face could have been deemed enough (that's what John Doe obsesses over), but to really feel Brad Pitt's pain in the third act moment of realisation there needs to be a sense that she's a real person and not just a trophy for the men to play with. Something an early-career Paltrow is more than up for. David Fincher's now-infamous technique of having dozens of takes for every scene typically ensures he gets the most unburdened performances from his actors as possible and that's definitely the case with Tracy. In a way it's a shame she's best remembered for something that, no matter what the editing suggests, is never shown on screen.